Art Paper and Printing (1)

Art Paper Classification
With the development of the packaging and printing industry, the demand for specialty papers in the domestic market is increasing. Specialty paper has become one of the most important products in paper products. Its variety has become more and more numerous, and the scope of application has also been expanding. In order to give readers a slight understanding of this species, the following describes in particular the relevant characteristics of some specialty papers and their relationship with printing design.

Since the invention of papermaking, paper has been used as a material with cultural properties. Its scope of application has been continuously expanding, and it has also been given more connotations. As for the classification of papers, the art papers (also known as fancy papers and specialty papers) mentioned here mainly refer to cultures and packaging papers that are different from ordinary printing papers, such as coated paper, offset paper and newsprint. This type of paper usually requires special paper processing equipment and processes. The processed paper is rich in color and unique lines. Art paper can be applied to exquisite book covers, albums, brochures, invitations, greeting cards, high-end office papers, business cards, and high-grade packaging paper. At present, with the rapid development of the domestic economy, people’s aesthetic requirements are constantly increasing. The demand for displaying images and communicating information through paper is increasing. The art paper industry has also been rapidly developed. Since entering China in the early 1990s, art paper With its unique charm, it attracted many people in the design and printing industry. The use of art paper has also increased dramatically. The number of people engaged in the sale of art paper is also increasing rapidly. Take Singapore's Xiemao Paper Co., Ltd. as an example. It entered China at the end of 1993 and has since grown from a company in the country to a large art paper sales company with four wholly-owned companies and nearly 30 distributors and liaison agencies.

First, the classification of different angles
1. Look from the pulp. The quality of specialty paper pulps is relatively high. Most of them are pure wood pulps with long fibers and some contain cotton. This paper pulp has good strength and toughness after papermaking. The paper has good stiffness and elasticity, and the color is also bright. Pulp of plain paper is provided with a certain proportion of non-wood fibers, and the paper tends to turn yellow and generally needs to be coated.

2. From the dyeing point of view can be divided into pulp dyeing and post-dyeing: Pulp dyeing is the addition of toner in the papermaking pulp, so that the color is evenly distributed in the paper fiber, the paper is saturated in color and uniform in cross-section. After dyeing, after the paper is formed, the pigment is dyed on the surface of the paper with the infiltration method, the color stability is inferior to the pulp dyeing, and the water is prone to discoloration. When the dark paper is folded, white edges are easily formed and the overall effect is destroyed.

3. From embossing mode, it can be divided into front embossing and post embossing. The former embossing means that soft felt is felt when the pulp is not fully dehydrated, so that the paper fibers are distributed according to the natural texture of the felt to form a special texture of the paper. The pre-embossed paper texture transitions naturally and delicately without damaging the paper fibers. After embossing, the finished paper is passed through an engraved steel roll, which uses mechanical pressure to create a pattern on the paper. The advantages of post-embossing are the simplicity of the process, the relatively low cost, and the ease of use. However, this process damages the paper fibers, so the quality of the base paper directly affects the quality of the finished paper after embossing. The pattern of embossing patterns after the change is less, and the embossed pattern before the comparison is slightly mechanical and rigid.

Art Paper Selection
Most of the art paper is imported, and it is basically based on the price of Zhang, which is more expensive than ordinary printing paper. Therefore, in addition to having a certain understanding of its use in prepress, printing, and postpress, it should also deal with the following: Take note of several aspects.

1. Understand the full paper size

Art paper is usually not a generous and positive specification, and different art papers have different specifications and should be specified when ordering. Careful consideration and measurement should be made when calculating the opening number or size, and the paper area should be used as effectively as possible. In order to reduce the cost, it may be considered to open up (mixed open) or break open, so as to avoid unnecessary waste.

2. Identify the front and back
Art paper is mostly used for single-sided printing, and it is necessary to distinguish between its front and back sides. Some art papers are easy to distinguish on the obverse side, but some are very similar on both sides, so it is necessary to mark the outer packing when feeding paper, so as to avoid misidentification of the front and back due to misdirection. .

3. Understand inventory
The inventory here refers to the amount of domestic stock, which is the number of papers that can be accessed directly. The date and place of the paper must be clearly stated when making the paper, and if necessary, the paper can be further checked for smooth inspection.

4 clear pattern
Many art papers look very similar, but there are great differences in printability. Therefore, when the customer brings a sample of paper, be sure to ask as many information as possible about the agent, number, and grammage of the paper in order to make paper. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will not find such papers for a few days or nights, which will affect the progress of printing.

5. Keep it properly
The price of art paper is high, and proper preservation is especially important. Under normal circumstances, it is necessary to control the temperature and humidity in the workshop throughout the year to avoid paper deformation. And to ensure the integrity of the art paper packaging, as soon as possible before opening the seal before opening.